Maren Ink/May 2018
SYNOPSIS:
President Joshua Maccabee Jennings has just taken office, vowing to Make America Christian Again.
When a Supreme Court justice dies unexpectedly, the government falls into crisis, and secular states start seceding, soon forming the Coalition of Secular States of America.
President Jennings declares war, to stop America’s dissolution no matter the costs in human life, or to America’s collective sanity.
Meanwhile, the US military is beginning a new era with an all-powerful computer system that promises to change the future of war forever.
Civil War Two: America Elects a President Determined to Restore Religion to Public Life, and the Nation Splits spans four ugly, bloody years. New military technologies wreak destruction like nothing America has ever seen. The two foes have almost identical capabilities, which means overwhelming the enemy is not an option, as it has been in America’s recent wars of empire. Individual campaigns are as crucial as any fought in Civil War One, and the wits of politicians, officers, soldiers, and spies are all put to the test.
Publisher: Maren Ink, May 2018
From The Author
I worked on Civil War Two for several years. It was partly born out of an interest in the history of the (first) American Civil War, in the social mechanics of battle, and how famous leaders (military and civilian) accomplished what they did: Ulysses Grant, Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln, etc. In a way, CW2 is the product of a great thought experiment, drawing on my understanding of history and human behavior, asking what would happen if another civil war happened in our near future. I wanted to be realistic, rather than following any popular or idealogical notions of what “should” happen. I add dimension by transposing some parallels from the 19th Century civil war, such as the influence of charismatic leaders. For example, what might a present-day Abraham Lincoln figure be like?
As far as current influences, the increasing polarization in American politics and culture are obvious touchstones. Doomsday scenarios abound in the popular imagination — “prepper” culture, right wing extremist movements, and even zombie stories are good examples. The increased prominence of the Christian Right and fundamentalist/evangelical movements can’t be ignored. New military and civilian technologies, including their possible failures and the unexpected consequences of their use, loom large in CW2.
Praise for Dr. Collins' Writing
"Finally, a book that will make a difference! Five eminent scholars put together their collective wisdom and their many disagreements to open up a free-wheeling conversation on one of the most important questions of our time: the future of this economic system we call capitalism. This should be mandatory reading for every college student in the world, not because it furnishes the answers but because it opens up all the most important questions."--David Harvey
"Does Capitalism Have a Future is the work of five eminent big-picture thinkers. Their rich analysis of capitalism's contradictions and vision of possibilities for its future evolution are well worth pondering."--Francis Fukuyama
"[T]he book is a notable attempt to develop a general sociological theory of interpersonal violence, and anyone interested in violence and peace can learn a great deal from it."--Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, Journal of Peace Research
"[A] deeply learned, thoughtful, and erudite book. . . . [T]he complexity of thought and the clarity of exposition of this first volume leave the reader both fulfilled and eager. Like the greatest of classical sociological thinkers, Collins is both pointillist and abstract expressionist, synthesizing micro and macro, and always asserting the power of the social."--Michael Kimmel, American Journal of Sociology
"Violence overturns standard views about the root causes of violence and offers solutions for confronting it in the future."--World Book Industry
"Collins's Violence is a sourcebook for the oft-ignored and usually unseen obvious: We humans are bad at violence, even if civilization makes us a bit better at it."- David D. Laitin, Science
"Violence is a rare academic work, with both a convincing reappraisal of its scholarly terrain, and enough accessibility and useful advice to attract laymen. The writing is clear and direct--sometimes with a welcome touch of the colloquial--and well illustrated with photographs and charts."- Graeme Wood, New York Sun
"Offering a wealth of observations...Randall Collins's overall theory is neat: violence is not easy, hence relatively rare. It is a compelling argument."--Jane Kilby, Times Higher Education
"Insofar as his analysis has sought to highlight its micro-situational aspects, he must be applauded. In the future, only interdisciplinary research will be able to approach this topic with the same vigor, and coherence as Collins has provided us in this book."--Paul Armstrong, Canadian Journal of Sociology
"The book is a superb commentary on how the emotional energy created by the situation of forward panic produces violence. . . . Collin's exhaustive treatment of the forward panic is a major contribution to the literature and the term is certain to become a standard part of our vocabulary on violence."--John M. Hagedorn, Anthropos
"Professor Collins has initiated a much needed discussion of violence, unencumbered by myth and make-believe. . . . After reading this excellent and highly readable volume, there are few myths left remain standing [sic]!”—P. A. J. Waddington, Policing [Note: These quotes are copied from the book’s Amazon page. I don’t have direct sources for all of them.]
